What Temperature is the Auto Value the Camara Selected?

[Marc Hildebrant]

As the OP, wfooshee is correct about my motivation. I am curious as to what value in Kelvins the program selected. My motivation is to learn about White Balance and one method is to compare my selected value, via the canon DPP4 program verses the Camara's algorithms.

Smoke665, thanks for your info also. By the way, I had opened your link. I had read that info from Canon in the past prior to posting my question.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back...

Marc

 

[smoke665]

As the OP, wfooshee is correct about my motivation. I am curious as to what value in Kelvins the program selected. My motivation is to learn about White Balance and one method is to compare my selected value, via the canon DPP4 program verses the Camara's algorithms.

I applaud your interest in learning about WB but your method is flawed. Are you shooting a known color value like a White/Gray/Black reference target? If you aren't, you're comparing an unknown scene, with an unknown temperature, and looking at the unknown "best guess" of a camera algorithm, which doesn't take into consideration unrealistic color casts. Even with a known target, color casts from reflections and other light contamination, can and will throw off the camera, plus all of the WB in camera settings will apply their own predisposed profiles. Here's a good read on WB Understanding White Balance.

Then there's the difference in how the human eye sees color and what the camera records. The human eye sees a white shirt regardless of a cool light or warm light reflecting off of it, because the mind automatically adjusts. We know the shirt is white we see white. A camera on the other hand captures reflected light, it records the actual temperature.

I personally just leave my camera setting on Auto WB, and save as a RAW file, because I know in post I'll be changing it to a predetermined setting anyhow.

 

[Marc Hildebrant]

smoke665,

Thanks for the comment.

Marc

 

[Marc Hildebrant]

Update: Using Rawdigger, I can see what Temp K the camara used for the auto setting.

Marc

 

[Thiophilos]

Update: Using Rawdigger, I can see what Temp K the camara used for the auto setting.

Marc

Phew!!

 

[smoke665]

Update: Using Rawdigger, I can see what Temp K the camara used for the auto setting.

Marc

Well that answers your question, but my question remains, how do you intend to use that value which most likely is not the correct value for the scene.

 

[Thiophilos]

Never knew an app like RawDigger existed. I have only a passing interest in what color temp the camera selects, but RawDigger could show what is happening in blown-out areas much better than LR can, and I suppose help explain why/how saturated color hues shift.

 

[Marc Hildebrant]

smoke665

Didn't see your question.

I will use the value measured by the camara as an aid in understanding color balance.

Marc

 

[smoke665]

smoke665

Didn't see your question.

I will use the value measured by the camara as an aid in understanding color balance.

Marc

But this is what I'm trying to tell you, temperature chosen "by the camera", is wrong more times than right. A camera Auto White Balance works by looking at the scene with a proprietorial algorithm and makes a best guess at deciding the appropriate white point within a range of about 3000k to 7000k. The rub comes in when you have multiple light sources with differing temps, color casts/reflections, temperature outside the camera's limited range and an unknown target value. That's why you shoot a known target like a white/gray/black at the start of a set and adjust the white balance post for images in the series. You have to do that each time the light source changes.

 

[Marc Hildebrant]

Smoke665,

Yes, a known target is the best method.

Marc